What Friends Are For
by Lyra36
Summary: RaeStar friendship. When Raven's reading is disturbed, she goes to see what the cause is, and finds a very distraught Starfire.


This is my first attempt at writing a Teen Titans fanfic. Just an idea I've had in my head recently. I'm not sure if this is going to be a one-shot or a multi-chaptered story yet. The events take place right after the episode "Betrothed" did.

Raven did not like it when her reading was disturbed.

The empath could feel waves of sadness rolling toward her from outside the main room, and she knew there was only one place they could be coming from. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy had all gone out to see some new video game, leaving her and Starfire alone in the tower. Since the five had returned from Tamaran a few days earlier, Starfire had "pulled a Raven" and shut herself in her room for hours on end. Raven had been sensing feelings of great despair from the girl since they had returned to the Tower, but Starfire wasn't volunteering any information for once, and the boys seemed fairly oblivious. Most likely the three were dismissing Star's withdrawn behavior as "that time of the month" or one of their other excuses for any odd behavior.

The sadness seemed to increase during her moments of thought, and Raven slammed her book shut. Obviously no more reading would get done until Starfire felt better, and when that occurred, the girl would most likely wish to journey to the "mall of shopping." Raven didn't resent Starfire, in fact, it was nice to have another female around the tower, especially when Raven felt social. It was just that after spending most of her life not associating with people her own age, Raven had never really grown used to be around others. Raven did enjoy spending time with Starfire, just not the amounts Starfire wanted to spend together.

She sighed, and decided to go see what was bothering the Tamaranian. She knew this Starfire was very different from the normal, happy and energetic girl that flew around the tower. She made her way to Starfire's bedroom, hearing sounds of sobbing coming from inside. This was not going to be easy. Starfire was obviously quite distraught, as Raven had never seen the girl spend this much time alone, ever. Hesitantly, Raven raised a hand and knocked on the door.

"Starfire? It's Raven. Is everything alright?"

There was no answer from within. Raven sighed again, knowing that she couldn't just walk away from the girl's room.

_Leave Robin to deal with it_, something inside her mind whispered. _He would be a lot more comforting to her than you would be_. _After all, we all saw how close they were from this whole engagement fiasco._

Raven shook her head, beating back thoughts of the masked Boy Wonder. That was the _last_ thing she needed to deal with right now. Perhaps Starfire was upset because Robin had not fought with Glrdlesklechhh for her hand in marriage. She silently prayed to Azar that that was not the reason Starfire was so upset. Raven raised her hand to knock again, louder this time.

"Starfire? Please open the door. I want to talk to you."

Raven actually wanted nothing more than to finish reading her book and enjoy the moments of solitude left before the boys' return, but with the overflow of sadness ebbing from the room in front of her, all activities were impossible.

Once again, all Raven heard was sobs. Now she was beginning to get irritated. The overwhelming depression from Star's room was grating on her nerves, and Raven knew it had to end, and soon. She decided to try knocking once more, to no avail.

She couldn't leave Starfire alone in her room, sobbing and depressed. Raven knew a simple way to enter without having Starfire open the door, but that was a last resort. Raven would never want someone entering her room without permission, but then, this was Starfire. Starfire most likely would never mind the company of another person.

But then why wasn't she answering the door? Starfire never turned a visitor away, always excited to have someone else to talk to or just be in the other's presence. Raven sighed. Starfire was not going to open the door. She had knocked three times already, and each time, Starfire had ignored her. With a deep breath in and out, Raven shut her eyes and phased through the door.

Almost at once, a figure smashed into her, clutching her around the waist tightly. Raven gasped for air, and stiffened automatically at the foreign touch. When she opened her eyes, she saw Starfire had latched onto her, and was currently sobbing into her shoulder.

"Starfire-what's the matter?" Raven asked, trying her best to breathe despite the clenching grip around her middle. Air was the first priority; the second was to get Starfire to stop hugging her. "You can tell me what's bothering you, you know that."

"Friend Raven, it is terrible," Starfire gulped in between sobs.

Raven now felt truly awkward. She patted Starfire on the back a few times, and then slowly tried moving out of the tight embrace. "How about we go sit down and talk about this? That might be easier for both of us, okay?"

Starfire reluctantly released her, and then trudged over to her bed. Sitting down on her pink comforter, Raven realized she had never seen an expression of such complete sadness on Starfire's face. Raven followed, sitting a few feet away from Starfire, hoping to prevent another hugging attack.

"What's wrong, Starfire? You've been upset the past few days. You've hardly left your room. Does it have something to do with Tamaran?"

Starfire nodded. "Friend Raven, this might be difficult for you to understand, as you have never had a sister." Starfire gulped a few times, and tried to wipe at her eyes.

"Well, I'll try my best to understand. I'm here to listen." So Blackfire was the cause of this sadness. The problem had definitely stemmed from Tamaran, as Raven had believed.

"My entire life, I have had Blackfire as my sister. I loved her as much as my knorfka. Blackfire did not love me as much as I loved her, and when we were young, she liked to be mean and hurt me. She would pull my hair and laugh when I cried. My mother and father would punish her often, but my sister would always come back to tease me. I did not understand why she disliked me when I loved her so much."

Raven nodded, wondering where this was going. Perhaps Starfire had stopped loving her sister after recent events?

"Even after my sister attempted to have me sent to prison in her place, I still loved her. She is my older sister, and the only one I will ever have. My mother and father are dead, and I cannot be given another sibling for this reason. I hoped Blackfire would stop being mean and start treating me like a sister. The way I tried to treat her. When I saw her again, when we arrived on Tamaran, and she was the Empress, I was happy for my sister. She had always wanted to be queen, and I was glad she had gotten what she desired."

Starfire paused again, wiping at some fresh tears that were making their way down her face. Raven levitated a box of Kleenex over, handing a few tissues to the crying girl. "Thank you, Friend Raven. I shall continue.

"Blackfire was trying to hurt me again. She had set me up to marry the Glrdlesklechhh so she could rule over Tamaran and no one would challenge her. I was wrong to be happy for my sister. She was not the ruler Tamaran needed. When Friend Robin came running in during the marriage ceremony, I knew I must defeat my sister, for Tamaran. I did not want to fight her. I loved my sister still, even after finding out she wanted to ruin my life for her own gain. We fought, and I won. You saw the events. I banished my sister, and gave the crown to Galfore. I then returned home with you, Friend Robin, Friend Cyborg, and Friend Beastboy. And now we are here, and I am most unhappy."

Raven didn't understand where Starfire was going with this story. She wasn't sure how to respond, and decided to let Starfire continue talking.

"Friend Raven, I did a most terrible thing to my sister. She has no place to go. She is doomed to drift from planet to planet, as she is wanted in most of the galaxy. She cannot remain at our home because my banishment, and many other planets she is wanted upon. I have made it so my sister has no home. I feel terrible for treating her in this way."

Now Starfire really started crying. Raven didn't know what to do, so she awkwardly leaned forward and gave Starfire a quick hug. Starfire, feeling Raven's arms, immediately latched onto Raven and squeezed tightly. Raven hugged back this time, and attempted to smooth out Starfire's hair.

"Starfire, you did what was best for your people. No one can blame you for that. Blackfire was not the best ruler for Tamaran, and you challenged her. For that, your people will have a much better future. You made the right choice. Galfore will be a good ruler. And perhaps her banishment will cause Blackfire to become a better person. Who knows, maybe in a few years you'll see her, and she'll be completely different. I bet you won't recognize her."

"But Friend Raven, I love my sister!"

"And you'll love your sister even if she changes. I know you, Starfire. If Blackfire changes, you'll still love her. Change could be for the best. She might even show that she loves you back this time."

Starfire nodded into Raven's shoulder. "You are right, Friend Raven. Thank you for listening to me."

"You're welcome, Starfire."

The two girls sat like that until the boys returned home, Raven letting Starfire hug her and cry silently into her shoulder. Raven couldn't believe she was letting someone touch her for the amount of time Starfire had been, but the girl obviously needed it. Only when Robin knocked on Starfire's door later that night, telling the two girls to come out for dinner, did Starfire let go.

"Are you okay? Do you think you're up to dinner?" Raven asked. Starfire had stopped crying earlier, but Raven still was unsure whether or not the girl could handle leaving her room.

"Yes, Friend Raven. I am having a craving for the mustard. I have not tasted that wonderful treat in days."

Raven had to use all her willpower to keep from gagging at Starfire's mustard reference. "Alright, well, let's go to dinner then." She got up, when Starfire hugged her once more.

"Thank you for coming to check on me, Friend Raven. I feel much better than I did before talking with you. You are a good friend, and a sister to me."

Raven hugged her back, truly touched at Starfire's comment. "You're welcome, Starfire. That's what friends do."

"Let us go eat the mustard! I will make a pudding of happiness after dinner for us to share!"

Raven's eyes grew wide, and she began insisting that Starfire didn't need to cook. Raven remembered how sick she had been the last time Starfire had tried feeding one of her strange puddings to the team. Starfire smiled, and consented, happily flying out of the room to join the boys for dinner.

Raven followed her, allowing a rare smile to surface. Starfire was truly back.


End file.
